Improved fuel-press



N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTO Amove in guides 15. 4'are givento the said plnngers or pistons by means of General Description.

'lhe chutes A A are suspended, by pivots a a', from the bottom B of amixer/Knot shown, which is intended to be located in the next storyabove of the building, or at suoli a height above the press as williiisiii'e the rapid filling ofthe mold-boxes by the gravitation of themixture of the coal-dust and itsagglutinating materials. The lower endsof said chutes open directly into thc feed-boxes C (l, but are notfastened thereto. 'lthe feed-boxes C C are open both at top and bottoni,and their bottom edges rest in close sliding contact upon the openmold-boxes D D below,

and arc'lield down or prevented from raising out of such contact duringthe pressure of the pistons or 'pl ungers E E upon the contents of thesaid mold-boxes,

when the latter are covered by the said feed-boxes, as'

will be described, byineans of cap-blocks F F, which fit overprojections, 1 1, at cach end of' the coiiuected feed-boxes, in such amanner as will allow thesaid feed-boxes to slide forward and backwardover the molds.

The forward or outer edge of the bottom of the said connected feed-boxeshas' a flat projecting plate, 2, (sce fig. 4,) the under surface ofwhich is iu the same plane with the bottoni edges of thc saidfeed-boxes, and, when applied in the saine plane, also with the uppersurfaces of the mold-hoses, so that when the feedfrom time to time inthe saine press, by means ot' removable or changeable plates 3 3, whichcan be readily inserted or withdrawn from between the said capblocks andthe bed-plate of' the press, as the said changes in the molds mayrequire.

ltwill be observed that this press is double-acting, or that both endsare fitted with the. changeable moldhoxcs and pistons or plungers, andwith the feed-boxes connected with chutes respectively, so that, whenthe contents of the mold-boxes in one end of the press aiebeing-condensed and pushed out, the mold-boxes iu the opposite end willbe filling with the mixture gravirating through their respective chutesand feed-boxes.`

'lhe requisite sliding motions of the two opposite feed' boxes C C areeffected by means of two cam-cranks, 4 4, which come in contact,periodically and respectively,

v with two toes, 5 5, adjustabl y secured to two rigid bars,

(i (i, Ywhich firmly connect together-.the feed-boxes C C of the twoopposite ends of the press.

The cani-cranks 4 4 are secured to the main shaft G, which has a largespur-wheel, 7, on one end, which gears into a pinion, 8, on one end ofthe driving-shaft ll, a baiul-wheel,.9, being; fixed on the opposite endot' tlie latter in the usual `manner, whereby the required motions aregiven to t-lie different parts of `'the press. In each of the chambers AA there is a sha-ft,

. provided with an outside hand-crank, 10, and inside arms 11, wherebysevere agitation can be given to the contents of the chutes should it beat any time desirable.

rlhe pistons or plungers E li of the mold-boxes D D of each end of thepress are secured by set-screws or draw-pins 12, in an iron head, 13,which 'is reinov- `ably secured in an iron cross-head, I. Thecross-heads I are ad j ustabl y secured together by means oftie-rods;with screw-nuts and jam-nuts, for the purpose, and lhe necessary slidingmotions charging their contents.

double cam-cranks 16 16, providedv with friction-rolls 17 17 and 18 18,and fixed on the main shaft G.

The rolls 17 17 are changeable, byvme'ans of extra bearing-holes 19, orslots and blocks, as indicated by the dotted lines in fig. 5, tocorrespond with such changes in the adjustments of the cross-heads II,which the different sizes ofthe molds may from time to time rcqnire,because the tlirow-out motions of the pistons or plnngersinust always beof sufiicient extent to cause the ends of the said plu'ngers to comeflush with the outside ends of their respective moldfboxesf, in dis- 4The friction-rolls 18 18 p roduce the condensation only, and thevariations in the mold-boxes are provided by adjusting the distanceapart of the two cross-heads I I, As the shaft G is rotated, 4thesuccessive condensing and .throw-out motions of the pistons or plnngersare ,effected by the force of the cam-cranks 1G operating against thecrosshead I of that end of the press, which operation, at the same time,opens the niold-boxes in tli opposite end of the same, (see figs. land2,) by sliding the feedboxes.

rlhe abutment-pieces K K are provided for the parpose of closing theouter ends of the mold-boxes D D previous to the filling of the same, ofretaining their contents against the condensing pressure of the .pistonsor plungers E E, and of opening the same for the discharge of thecondensed blocks of fuel:

Each abutuiei'it-piece E consists of a verysti'ong and heavy piece ofcast-iron, which is support-ed upon a horizontal bar, 19, by means of apair of ruiming sockets, 20, each connected with two eye-bolts, 21 22,-by 4right and left screw-threads, so that `by rotating the sockets 20,the abutment K may b'e ,readily :id-

justed to the height required.

The bar 19 coiiuects the two opposite side levers, L L, at the saine endofthe press,'and each of saidlevers has their respective fulcrums at 23,their powereiids being respectively fitted with steel friction-rolls 2424, which traverse a groove inthe. inner side of respective hollow camsM M, fixed onthe shaft G, and constructed and applied so as to cansealternate rising and falling motions in the abutmentpiece K as the saidcam is rotated. I

The abutment-piece K slides vertically in'tapering guide-grooiv's inrespective adjustable blocks N N,V so that when raised up to cover theopen ends of the molds D D, it will be held firmly in -close contactwith the said molds, and, as soon as it is started downward, it will befree from any bindingvor frictional restraint from lthe said guides orgrooves. f As a vcrypowerful pressure has to be resisted by thisabutnient-pieceK, its guide-blocks N N are supported by means of strongwrought-iron grips O O,-sec`ured tothe bed-plate of the press by meansof a T-head, 24', iu each, and bolts with lugs 25 25 on the bed-plate.

The grips O O are tightened against the blocks N- by wedges O O', andalso connected by a tie-bolt, 26,

which. slips into slots in their ends, and is secured byv screw-nuts, soas to prevent the said grips O O from spreading apart. j

The upper side of the abutment-piece K is sloped downward, so as to forman inclned plane for the condensed blocks of fuel to slide freely downacross it into the receiving-car, not shown,when the said piece K is atits lowest posit-ion, (see the left-hand end of press in fig. 4.)

As the abutment-pieces K K are each very heavy, a counterpoise, 7.1', issupported by au arm, 2T, fixed to the fulcruui-sha-t't of the.side-levers L L, and to the said eountei'poise, of sufiicient weight torelieve the hollow cams M Maud their friction-rollers 24: 24 from theexcessive strain to which they would otherwise be subjected. j

The mold-boxes D D are in series of four or more in one piece, and aremerely slipped outv and in a.

changesv iu them may require, and are so constructed that their centersare always parallel with the center 'ot' pressure. In the presentcase,'the corners of the mold-boxes are rounded, and their upper edgesfaced with steel plates 28, (see lig. (i.) The guides of theabutment-pieces are also faced with steel, and all the different partsof the press are made of the appropriate weight and strength of metalquired to stand tirmly the very powerful pressure required to condensethe contents of the molds into blocks or lumps, nearly or quite as solidand hard as the natural lumps of anthracite coal.

The operation ot' this press will now be understood 'without furtherdescription or explanation, except t0 say that as the contents ofthemold-boxes in one end of the press are being condensed and pushed out,the molds in theppposite end are being lled by the gravitation of themass from the mixer above (not shown) through the chutes, aided by thevibratory motions of the latter, and that as the shorter knuckles of thecam-cranks 16 16 contain the friction-rollers 18 18, and give thecondensing pressure, and the long'rer -knuckles ot' the said cam-crankscontain the adjustable friction-rollers 17 17 are required to give onlythe throw-out motion to the pistons or plungers, but two motions arerequired to condense and discharge the fuel from either end of thepress.

Claims.

Iseries being. in one piece with open upper sides and 'ends, as shownand described, in combination with the bed-plate of the press and theadjustable feed-boxes C O, substantially as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, with the bed-plate andthe open outer ends of themold-boxes D D, of the adjustable `abutn;1entpece K, the connectedside-leversL L with their friction-rollers 24 24 and hollow cams M M,and the counterpoise k', substantially as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

3. rllhe combination of the adjustable yokes I 14 with the throwoutknuckle of cam-cranks 16, and its friction-roll 17, when said roll isset in an adjustable bearing, as and for the purpose hereinbefore shownand described.

4. The arrangement of the sliding feed-boxes with the bed-plate ofthemachine and the adjustable eapblocks F F, as shown and described, andfor the purpose set forth. l ,t

5. rlhe combination, with the ends of the abutmentpiece K and thebed-plate of the press, of the adjustable recessed blocks N N and thewrought-iron T- head grips O O, substantially as and for the purposeshereinbeiore set forth.

6. The combination, with the abutment-piece K and the connecting-bar 19of its two operating sidelevers, L-L, of the pair ot' running sockets 20and their respective eye-bolts 2l and 22, substantially as` und for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

Witnesses WM. Assouan, CONRAD Hannie.

